Web winding and unwinding control



April 21, 1953 w. 'r. STANFORD WEB WINDING AND UNWINDING CONTROL 5Sheets$heet 1 Filed 001,- 2, 1950 INVENTOR I William 715mm:

h wuww Q- 8 m I mvm o S Om QN flm mm m Nw m W 3k April 21, 1953 w. T.STANFORD WEB WINDING AND UNWINDING CONTROL Filed Oct. 2. 1950 5SheetsSheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEY William Z'Sfiargbnd.

April 1953 w. T. STANFORD 2,635,825

WEB WINDING AND UNWINDING CONTROL Filed Oct. 2, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet :5

I F 1.3. Fig.5.

FRO CONTROL VALVE.

ON PAPER MECH,

INVENTOR \Vp'llianc Z Sl'argbrd ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 21, 1953 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE 7 Claims.

This invention relates to machines for winding and unwinding sheets orwebs of material, such as paper, cloth and other materials and is moreparticularly concerned with means for changing the speed of the rollerupon which the material is being wound or from which it is being unwoundto compensate for changes in the tension of the web.

An object of this invention is the provision of means for automaticallycontrolling the speed of the web roller as the web is being either woundor unwound.

Another object of the invention is to provide such means which ispositive in operation and which is sensitive in its response to changesin a predetermined web tension.

A further object is the provision of such means which are long wearing,inexpensive to operate and not likely to get out of order. A stillfurther object is the provision of a mechanism in combination with a webroller in a machine of the type mentioned which includes a combinedbraking and clutching unit associated with the roller and means foractuating the unit to an extent proportional to the stress in the webmaterial.

A stillfurther object is the provision of such means in combination witha web guiding device.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear fromthe following description considered together with the accompanyingdrawing in which drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of certain elements of a web windingmachine in combination with an embodiment of this invention.

. Figure 2 is a perspective view of a portion of the same machine from adifferent position.

Figure 3 is a section along the line 3-3 .of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a plan view of the braking and clutching unit and thediaphragm actuating linkage connected thereto.

Figure 5 is a cross sectional view of the dia The roller is adapted tobe rotated in. either a clockwise or a counterclockwise direction inorder to wind or unwind a web of material, such as the paper web H.

In front of the roller a tension unit i8 is disposed comprising framemembers l8 and [9 between which is mounted a pair of fixed idler rollers2i and 22 at the top. A fixed bottom roller 23 is disposed between saidframe members [9 and below the rearward roller 22. A vertically movableroller 24 is disposed below the space between the upper rollers 2-! and22. The shaft 25 of said movable roller is journaled at either end inblocks 26 and 2! which slide in vertical guideways 28 and 23 in saidframe members it and 26, respectively. The shaft 25 is also providedwith pinions 3D and 31 on either side which mesh with vertical racks 32and 33 secured to the inner side of the frame members [I 9 and 23,respectively, adjacent the guideways.

At the top of each frame member I19 and 20 there is mounted a verticalsprocket 34 and 35 on brackets 36 and 31, respectively. The sprocketsare situated midway between the axes of the rollers 2| and 22 and atright angles thereto.

A sprocket chain 38 is secured at one end to the block 2i and passesover the sprocket 35. The other end of the chain is provided with adancer or support block 39 upon which counterweights 43 may be removablyplaced.

A similar sprocket chain M is secured at one end to the block 26 andpasses over the sprocket 34, the other end being also provided with adancer or supporting block 42 to removably carry counterweights 43.

The sprocket 35 is carried on a shaft 44 which is journaled in suitablebearings on the bracket 31. Said shaft 4% is connected to the stem 45 ofa needle valve 46 attached to the said bracket 31 by an arm 41. Thevalve stem 45 is threadedly engaged with an elongated land nut 48 on oneside of the valve body and its needle point E9 is adapted to seat in thevalve seat 50 disposed in a partition 51 within the valve body.Accordingly, rotation of the shaft 44 in one direction will cause thepoint 49 to advance toward its seat 50 and rotation in the oppositedirection will cause it to retract from the seat.

The valve inlet 52 is disposed through the valve body on one side of thepartition 5i and is connected to a hose 53 which leads to a pressurepump (not shown). The outlet '54 of said valve is disposed through thevalve body on the other side of the partition and is connected to a hose55 3 leading to a diaphragm device hereinafter more fully described.

The shaft [4 of the roller I3 is connected to an extension shaft 56 bymeans of a connecting sleeve 51. Said sleeve is rotatably supported inthe bearing l6 and the other end of the extension shaft is supported inbearing 58 of a bracket 59 secured to the frame member [2.

Parallel to the extension shaft 56 is disposed a shaft 60 that carriesan elongated gear 6!. Said gear is rotatable and slidable on the shaft60 and is in constant mesh with another gear 62 on the extension shaft56. The shaft 53 is carried in bearings 63 in the frame member l2 and Edin the bracket 59.

Between the bearing 53 and the elongated gear 8| there is fixed to theshaft 6d a plate 65 the inner face of which carries a friction facing 66such as cork or other suitable material. On the opposite side of theshaft til between the bearing 64 and the gear 6| there is keyed to theshaft another plate which is axially slidable on said shaft by means ofa pin 68 through the collar 69 of the plate operating in a longitudinalgroove it of the shaft 6t. The collar 69 is adapted to abut the innerside of the bearing Eli as the shaft it moves to the right as viewed inFigure 4. The plate 6? carries a similar friction facing material 'H onits inner side. The gear 6i is rotatably mounted on the shaft 66 so asto be both axially displaceable thereon and rotatable relative thereto.The entire shaft 60 is also axially displaceable in its bearings 63 and64. By these means translation of the shaft {it in the direction towardthe bearing 6 3 will cause the sides of the gear ti to com in frictionalcontact with the plate facings Eli and El and therefore effect a brakingaction when the gear GI is being driven by the gear 62. When the rolleri3 is rotating to unwind a roll of material the shaft 68 is held in anon-rotative position. This is accomplished by means of an arm '52having a collar 13 at one end, said collar being removably disposed onthe shaft 69. The other end of the arm i2 is bifurcated to straddle theextension shaft 56 as shown in Figure 1. The collar 73 is removablysecured to the shaft 86 by means of a set screw M- or by other suitablemeans. An abutment 75 projects laterally from the arm 12 to contact theside of the bearing 64 or some other suitable fixed member. By thesemeans the maximum spacing between the collar 69 and the inner side ofthe bearing 64 may be adjusted for any given operation.

Should it be desired to wind material on the roller l3 instead of tounwind it, the arm 72 is removed from the shaft cc and a sprocket it issubstituted therefor to permit the application of power to the shaftfrom a motor (not shown) through a sprocket chain H. However, othersuitable power trains may be employed, the means shown being forillustrative purposes only. As the shaft fill is rotatably driven itcarries with it the lates 65 and 5?. Lateral movement of the shaft willthen cause said plates to frictionally engage the gear 6i and drive itto an extent dependent upon the pressure exerted by the axialdisplacement. It may be seen, therefore, that the extent to which theroller is forced to rotate by the application of power to the shaft 60or permitted to rotate when power is not applied to the shaft 69 is afunction of the lateral displace ment of the shaft 68 causing, on theone hand, a clutching action between the plates 65 and ill and the gearEl and, on the other hand, braking action between said plates and gear.

The control of the lateral movement of the shaft 60 is effected througha lever 18 which is pivoted at 19 to an arm extending from the innerside of the frame member l2. One end of the lever 18 engages the innerend of the shaft 66 and a thrust bearing 8[ is disposed therebetween.The other end of the lever 18 is pin connected to an arm 82 which isattached to a laterally movable disc 83 that is secured to a fiexiblediaphragm 8d. The diaphragm and plate as a unit is disposed in spacedrelation to a wall 85 and the edges of the diaphragm are hermeticallyattached to the wall. Th space 36 between the diaphragm and thewallcommunicates with a short pipe 81 connected to the hose 55 leading fromthe outlet 5d of the valve 46. A vent or bleed hole 88 is providedthrough the wall 85 of predetermined size such as inch in diameter, sothat air passing into the space 56 will escape through the vent andprevent the constant building up of the pressure beyond a predeterminedpoint for any given quantity of air passing into the said space. Thequantity of air is controlled by the needle valve 45 which is in turncontrolled by rotation of the sprocket 35.

The web from the roller i3 passes under the fixed bottom roller 23, thenupward and over the rear upper fixed roller 22, then downward and aroundthe movable roller 24 and thence upward and over the forward upper fixedroller 2!. The weight of the movable roller 24 is counterbalanced by apredetermined tension in the web supplemented by the weights 4t and 43.Accordingly, any changes in the tension in said web results in amovement up or down of the roller 24, depending upon whether the changeis positive or negative, thereby causing the sprocket 35 and its shaft44 to rotate and operate the valve stem 25 toward or away from its seat55 a corresponding amount. By these means pressure on the diaphragm 33is modified and causes it to move under the action of a spring 39disposed between the lever 78 and the frame member I 2. Said spring hasa tension designed to yield under pressure on the diaphragm developed bythe air pressure.

Movement of the arm 18 results in a lateral displacement of the shaft 60to effect a braking action or a clutching action as the case may be tothe extent of the movement.

The shaft l4 and its extension 56 are also axially displaceable in theirbearings and the collar of the gear 62 is provided with an annularperipheral groove 96 which is rotatably engaged with a yoke 9| at oneend of a lever arm 92. Said lever arm is a part of a web guiding unit 93as shown and described in U. S. Patent No. 2,434,128 issued January 6,1948.

In order to prevent hunting, suitable dash-pot means are provided. Inthe drawing a suitable form of dash-pot is shown consisting of cylinders94 and 95 secured to the frame members l9 and 20 at the bottom of theguideways 28 and 29, respectively. Said cylinders are filled with oil orother fluid and contain vertically movable pistons 96 and 9'! therein.Said pistons are connected to piston rods 98 and 99 which slidablyoperate through the top of the cylinders. The upper ends of said pistonrods are connected to their corresponding block members 26 and 27,substantially as shown. The pistons 96 and Bl are provided with bypassapertures I00. By these means movement of the roller 24 up and down isdamped thereby stabilizing the position of the roller 24 quickly,following any change in the web tension.

I claim:

1. In a machine of the type described having a roller for carrying a Webin rolled form, a shaft secured to said roller, a first gear rotatablewith said shaft, a second gear in meshed relation with said first gear,friction plates for variably engaging the sides of said second gear, ashaft supporting said second gear and friction plates, said frictionplates being rotatable with and said second gear being rotatablerelative to said last named shaft, idler rollers for unrolled portionsof the web, at least one of said idler rollers being movable in responseto changes in tension in said web, means responsive to movements of saidmovable roller for actuating said friction plates relative to saidsecond gear and means for damping the movements of said movable roller.

2, In a machine of the type described having a roller for carrying a Webin rolled form, a shaft secured to said roller, a first gear rotatablewith said shaft, a second gear in meshed relation with said first gear,friction plates for variably engaging the sides of said second gear, ashaft supporting said second gear and friction plates, said frictionplates being rotatable with and said second gear being rotatablerelative to said last named shaft, idler rollers for unrolled portionsof the web, at least one of said idler rollers being vertically movable,counterbaancing means for said movable roller, and means responsive tomovements of said movable roller for actuating said friction platesrelative to said second gear.

3. In a machine of the type described having a roller for carrying a webin rolled form, a shaft secured to said roller, a first gear rotatablewith said shaft, a second gear in meshed relation with said first gear,friction plates for variably engaging the sides of said second gear, ashaft supporting said second gear and friction plates, said frictionplates being rotatable with and said second gear being rotatablerelative to said last named shaft, idler rollers for unrolled portionsof the web, at least one of said idler rollers being vertically movable,counterbalancing means for said movable roller, an air pressurediaphragm and a linkage system for actuating said friction platesrelative to said second gear, means for connecting said diaphragm to anexternal source of air pressure, means including a valve for controllingair pressure from said source on said diaphragm, and means for actuatingsaid valve in response to movements of said movable roller.

4. In a machine as defined by claim 3 wherein the counterbalancing meansincludes a rotatable shaft and the valve includes a valve stem connectedto said shaft.

5. A tensioning unit for a web winding and unwinding machine comprisinga pair of spaced frame members; spaced horizontal idler rollers betweensaid members; said members having vertical slots therein; movablemembers slidably mounted in said slots; a roller journaled in saidmovable members; counterbalancing means for said movable members andjournaled roller, said counterbalancing means including counterweights,a pulley, and a flexible member on said pulley connecting said Weightsto the movable roller; a shaft rotatable with the pulley; and a valvehaving a rotatable stem connected to said shaft.

6. A tensioning unit for a web winding and unwinding machine comprisinga pair of spaced frame members; spaced horizontal idler rollers betweensaid members, said members having vertical slots therein; movablemembers slidably mounted in said slots; a roller journaled in saidmovable members; counterbalancing means for said movable members andjournaled roller, said counterbalancing means including counter-Weights, a pulley and a flexible member on said pulley connecting saidWeights to the movable roller; a shaft rotatable with the pulley; avalve having a rotatable stem connected to said shaft; and a dash potbetween said movable roller and said frame members.

'7. A tensioning unit for a web winding and un' winding machinecomprising a pair of spaced frame members; spaced horizontal idlerrollers between said members, said members having vertical slotstherein; movable members slidably mounted in said slots; a rollerjournaled in said movable member; vertical racks adjacent the slots;pinions 'rotatably mounted on the journaled roller; said pinions beingin meshed relation with the said racks; counterbalancing means for saidmovable members and journaled roller, said counterbalancing meansincluding counterweights, a pulley and a flexible member on the saidpulley connecting said weights to the movable roller; a shaft rotatablewith the pulley; and a valve having a rotatable stem connected to saidshaft.

WILLIAM T. STANFORD.

References Cited in the file of this patent Schnell June 7, 1949

